Fixing / Touching up paint???

[M20E-1964]

Has anyone here been able to touch up flaking paint around rivets?  Any tips, ideas?  Where would you get the paint?  What about prep?

 

I have a lot of flaking paint around rivets and such.

 

Thanks!

[Scott Aviation]

I don't know what colors you have but when I painted my plane I used all Toyota paint codes and then went and bought 4 touch up Pens. I had to use them a few times now and work awesome. You might find your similar or close enough colors at an auto parts store or car dealer. Luckily white is fairly neutral. Just a thought.

[Jeff_S]

I also use a touch-up bottle from an auto store, which has both a pen and a little brush. Although white is fairly neutral, it's amazing how many different shades there really are. And from what I've experienced you can't go by the feeble attempt at color depiction the store brands use on their bottles. If you have a few extra bucks, best bet is to buy three different shades that you think will bracket the color you have on your plane and then just try them out. You'll find one that looks best.

[Seth]

Those touch up pens/bottles seem like a great idea.  I have about a water bottle sized container of the three main colors on my airplane that were in a box of items that came with the plane.  I do have a few flaking areas, and I'm going to add "touch up pen/bottle" to the list of activities for the summer.  It's only a few areas and rivits where the flaking is occuring, but when you have black (deep cherry red - looks black unless the right angle hits) a few silver bits here and there stand out.

 

-Seth

[Bennett]

I agree. I found a touch up pen/brush at an automotive store that I use to touch up the landing gear and the lower nose bowl. Annoying little nicks, but they disappear easily. Found the perfect green color (to my surprise) on my first try. I did the same thing on another airplane, but being red it took about four pen/ brush units to find a color close enough.

[thinwing]

I had the paint codes from the factory and simply ordered smallest quantity of original paint.That way a chip can be built up to original level leading to no paint "crater".Than after a few weeks if you really feeling bored..go back and wet sand with 600 and than power compound for invisable repair

[carusoam]

Take a panel to a car paint shop for a computer match match...

You might be able to use a good iPhone photo nowadays....

Best regards,

-a-

[laytonl]

It is amazing how good of a job the automotive paint suppliers can do with an inspection panel.  I've always had good results with this approach.  Lee

[Carl S]

When using a touch up pen (or brush) do you alodine the bare Al first?  I am going to do some touch up on my wing leading edge and am gathering suplies now.

[Wakeup]

I noticed a few bare al spots where the paint flaked off the bottom of the wing. Do I treat the al before touching it up with paint or go directly on?? And what do I use ?? Thanks Troy

[carusoam]

What's under the rest of the paint?

Best regards,

-a-

[Wakeup]

Most of the paint is fine. I just noticed some bubbles in the paint under the wing and it flakes off and it silver metal under it. I could scrape the bubbles off and touch up but didn't know if I need to treat the bare metal before touching up. Thanks. Troy

[jetdriven]

You can spray an etching zinc chromate primer into a ziplog baggie, like people do when they huff it.  Then take a small acid brush and wipe that on the metal. When it dries, touchup paint over that. Its really not a very good solution but better than paint on bare aluminum.

[Wakeup]

Thanks for all the helpful information. Troy